Safety-razor.



PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

. W. s. HOPKINS.

SAFETY RAZOR.

APPLICATION FILED APB..19.1907.

UNITED 'STATESEA TEN-T @FFEQE.

WILLIAM S. HOPKINS, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY-RAZOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed April 19,1907. Serial No. 869,062.

.drawings is a specification, like letters on the drawof the principal objects of my invention is to provide a razor which is operable on the safety principle and yet is constructed for use with a lateral or oblique drawing movement, the same as the previous type of old-fashioned razor. Also I provide for using the opposite sides of the razor and to this end I provide two blades and have laterally extending means for maintaining' the blades at the right anglewith relation to the face when in the act of shaving.

A further novel feature resides in providing means permitting the blades to be freely moved by hand on their carrier into the desired adjustment before they are placed in clamped position in the holder or handle.

The holder and handle are madein one piece and the handle is so shaped as to conform exactly to the position naturally assumed ,by the fingers in holding an ordinary razor. In other words, I have succeeded in providing a safety razor free from the objections of awkwardness, ete., commonly found in safety razors and having all the advantages of safety, use of thin blades, etc,, of said safety razor, as Well as the advantages of convenience, facility of use and natural position of the ordinary razor. There are no adjusting devices in the sense of screws, etc., in my construction, but the carrier and blades are automatically clamped simply by their insertion in the handle.

Further advantages of construction and use will be made apparent in the course of the following description taken in connection withv the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown one of many embodiments of which my invention is capable.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred construction of my safety razor; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; Fig. 3 shows the same in side elevation; Fig. 4 is a view in top plan; Fig. 5 is a cross-see users hand is not in his way ,and that he can see what;

he. is doing, also such shape-ind arrangement that he can take hold of the handle firmly and naturally about the same as he would with an old-fashioned razor, and can also draw the razor with a shearing or oblique movement, thereby getting better execution. Accordingly I have provided a flat handle 1. outwardly bent .at 2 to pass outwardly between the fingers while the opposite end of the handle is grasped between the thumb and the first two or three lingers of the hand. The forward end of the handle verges into a holder portion having laterally projecting flanges 3, 4 i'ornu-d by bending the metal of the back 5 over at its edges and inwardly, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and thence upwardly so that the two edges of the metal 6, 7 extend upwardly approximately parallel to form clamping members of a comparatively narrow receiving trough for the razor blades and their carrier. The carrier 8 consists of a U-shaped central portion 9 having its lower edges outwardly flared at 10, ll to enter within the flanges 3, 4 of the holder, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. The body part or upper portion. of the carrier 8 is transversely slitted as shown at 12 where it bridges across between the blades to receive the lather scrapings from the face and enable the razor blades to cut more efficiently, in the well-known safety razor manner. I Safety razors, so far as I am aware, have heretofore been capable of having one'cutting position only, and the position of their single blade has been determined by the mounting of the handle, which has been de-' tachable. My invention departs radically in all these particulars. Instead of a single blade I employ two blades, l3, 14, the carrier 8 having exactly similar opposite sides for this purpose, said sides verging slightly toward their lower or inner ends as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and the operating angle of the blade against the face is determined by the adjacent flange 3 or 4 as the case may be, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. By having two blades, the user shaves the right-hand side of his face with the blade 14 and the left-hand side of his face With the blade 13, the flange 3 cooperating with the blade 14 to prevent the blade 14 from getting into wrong position. Then when the Opposite side of the face is to be shaved, the user shifts the razor so as to bring the opposite blade 13 and its gaging flange 4 into position against the cheek. In

"each instance the angle of the blade, the height and ing devices or adjusting devices for controlling the position of the cutting edge with relation to the guard end of the carrier atthe edge of the blade, and 1 consider that one of the important and valuable features efmyiilvention resides in making the blade freely 4O is then grasped in natural. manner by the user,;the

made of spring metal under normal tendency to spread slightly wider than the opening in the holder for re1 ceiving the same, so that when the blades have been shoved by the thumb and finger into exactly correct position with relation to the guard edge of the carrier the latter and the two blades arepinched together and then slid endwise into the holder, the opposite flaring edges 10 and 11 of thecarrier entering snugly the cavi ties in the opposite flanges 3, 4 and the opposite blades 13, 14 passing in freely between the upright clamping members 6, 7, and when fully inserted they are gradually released, perinitting the leg portions of the carrier to move outwardly under their strong spring action and clamp the blades immovably in position. The blades are prevented from moving-end-wise' by anysuitable means, as by stops 15 formed in the carrier. I "The ends of the guard portion of the carrier flare slightly. at: 16 to shield the corners of the blades. L

.In use let it be supposed that the razor is notin correct adjustment. If either bladeis too high, the operator. simply springs the carrier together and slightly lowers the blade withhis thumb, orif it is too low he simply raises it with his thumb and then permits the carrier to spring back into clamping position,- the broad flat face of the carrier cooperating with the broad flat face of the clamping member 6, 01*,7, to hold the blade rigidly and immovably inits adjustment. If either blade needs sharpening or a new blade is to be put in position, the carrierand blades are pinched to' gether slightly and then pulled out-endwise-from the holder, the new blade is put in position and freely adjusted by sliding it up or downon the carrier and then the carrier and blades are pinched together and slid back endwise into the holder, which clamps them in rigid position when they are released. The handle handle then extending transversely over the firstatwo or three fingers against which it is held by the thumb pressing on the inside of the handle adjacent the' blade being used for one side of the face and the opposite blade being used for the other side of the face, and

the general angle of'the razor being controlledby the adjacent flange 3 or 4. These flanges serve the double purpose ofcontrolling the cutting angle of the razor and also retaining the blade carrier.' The T-shaped holder is simply to make it easy to keep clean. This applies also 'to the U-shape 6f the carrier. The extreme simplicity of my razor is also of importance, consisting as it doesof only two parts besides the blades, and said parts are simply struck up and do not require any special fasteners or adjustable parts or the like. Also the formation of the handle and holder in one integral piece is of practical yalue.

While I have herein shown the preferred construc tion of my invention, I wish it understood that it iscapable of a wide variety of modifications and changes 1 op atin retaining e s or detaaiiably. maintaining the L A safety' razor, having a central guard bridging across between the blades attheir cutting edges, and two cutting bladesarrangedrespectively on the opposite sides of said guard.

2. A safety razor, having a central lnve'rted ll-shaped guard transversely slitted at its upper portion which is .arranged to bridge across the space between the blades approximateiyat their cutting edges, and two cutting blades arranged respectivel 'oii the opposite sides of said guard, saitlblades havingtheir cutting edges close to the adjacen guard Sui-race and being independently adjustable.

3. A safety razor, having central slmving means, one side being arranged-fernse on one side of the face and -the opposite side of the razor being arranged for use on the ..opposite side of the face, and opposite angle-controlling means for. automatically controlling the angle of said centrul shaving means with relation to the face. 4

4,. A safety razor, having a holder provided with a cen- .-tral longitudinal apertureQsnd a combined carrier and guard and cutting blade slidlngly mounted in said longitudinal aperture, sald holdecabd carrier having cooperating lateral oifsets for automatically locking the parts in operative position.

. A safety. razor, comprising a holder having a central i-eceiving 'aperture, ,an expanslble springcarrler normally tightly fitting said aperture; and a blade clamped between said holderand carrier by the springa ction of the holder.

' (L'A safety razorgoompris-ing a holder having a troughshaped reeel-sing aperture, :1 carrierfitting said aperture, one ofv said parts'having -normal spring action tending to move it toward theother part, and a cutting blade mount ed between said parts and'clamped in position by said spring action. U p

7. Asafetj' razor, comprisir'ig a holder :havlnga troughshaped receiving opening and a lateral oifsetopening thereinto, combinedwith a carrier'bav'ing anfuprightportlon fitting said opening andiari out-turned lateralportion fitting said offset, ands-cutting blade'carriedby said carrier.

8'. A safety razor, comprising aholder T-shaped in cross -.section, provided with a ,centra l receiving opening and-opposit e lateral ofl' sets therefrom," a centraicarrier fitting said receiving opening, having, opposite lateral retaining projections fitting said Ofiflfltfl, and'a cutting blade mount edfbetweemsaid holder and-carrier 1-. L

9. A safety razor comprisinga holder having a central receiving 'aperture,' :1 El-shaped carrier;- having resilient sides capable of being sprung into retained position in said "aperture, and a cutting blade adapted to be clamped by said resilient-carrier. in position between the carrier and bolder. I l

10. A safety razor, comprising a holder having upwardly errtending ,clamping members forming between them a'narrow receiving trough, a ff-shaped carrier adapted. to fitin clamping positlbn between said members, and a cutting blade mounted in'rsaid triz'. gh against said carrier.

11. A safety razor, comprising a holder having upwardly extending clamping members forming between them' a narrow receiving trough, a ll-shaped carrier adapted to fit in clamping position between said members, and a cutting bla'de' mounted in said trough against said carrier, said carrier at its opposite ends having stops for longitu dinully positioning said blade.

12. A safety razor, comprising a holder having upwardly extending clamping members forming between them a narrow receiving troiigh, a ll-shaped carrier adapt? ed to fit in clamping position between said members, and a. cutting blade mounted in said trough against said carrier, said carrier at its opposite ends having stops for longitu dinally positioning said blade. said blade being otherwise freely adjustable up and down on said carrier.

A safety riizor. comprising a holder, a carrier. cutting blade and handle, said carrier arid holder having cocarrier and cutting blade in standing position edgewise with relation to the holder and handle, and the handle extending rearwardly endwise from the end of said holder, flatwise transversely to the operative position of said carrier and blade at the base of the latter 14. A safety razor, comprising a holder, a carrier, cutting blade and handle,'said carrier and holder having cooperating retaining means for detachably maintaining the carrier and cutting blade in standing position edgewise with relation to the holder andhandle, and the handle extending'rearwardly-endwise from the end of said holder, flatwise transversely to the operative position ot said car rier and blade-at the base of the latter, and thence at its free end being curved backwardly in a direction away from the cutting edge of the blade.

15. Asafety razor, having a one-piece member consisting of a wide flat handle verging at one end into a holder having a flat back part whose opposite edges are bent over inwardly thereon and thence upwardly. to form a central reeeiving trough, a carrier fitting within said trough and back in clamping position, and a cutting blade adapted to be clamped between said carrier and holder.

16. A safety razor, having a one-piece member consisting of a wide fiat handle backwardly curved at its free end, and verging at its opposite end into a holder having a flat lfilck part Whose opposite edges are .bent over inwardly thereon and thence upwardly to form a central receiving trough, a carrier fitting within said trough and back in clamping position, and a cutting blade adapted to be clamped between said carrier and holder.

17. A safety razor, having a one-piece member consisting of a wide flat handle verging at one end into a holder having a fiat back part whose opposite edges are bent over inwardly thereon and thence upwardly to form a central receiving trough, a II-shaped spring carrier fitting within said trough and back in clamping position, and a cutting blade adapted to be clamped between said carrier and holder.

In testimony whereof. specification,

I have signed my name to this WILLIAM s. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

Gno, II. MAXWELL. WM. .7. Pins.

in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 40 

